Jesus Tomb Documentary Threatens More Than the Church

Faith is more than applied metaphysics; religion has deeper implications than an explanation of the universe's mysteries. While James Cameron may possibly revolutionize the globe with his impending Discovery Channel documentary, in which he claims to unveil the lost tomb of Christianity's Jesus, he may also psychologically deprave the fervent commonplace Christian believer.

Without a doubt, if Cameron's thesis proves true, the West's religious community will be shattered because of the breadth of Christian dominance in theological thought. Clearly the faith of Christ will be shattered and dismissed by its critics as a two-thousand year old hoax, and the world's religions as a whole may suffer from the drop in credibility. Besides compromising the balance between secular and religious, Cameron's possibly monumental exposition will eradicate the institution that so many in the West and in the world cling to as the defining element of their lives: their faith.

While I am admittedly not a Christian scholar or committed follower, it should be abundantly clear to anyone in the Americas or Europe that the role that Christianity plays in shaping and guiding its community of faithful is immense. Christians organize their ethics based on God's Commandments and Jesus's example. Whether you place your faith in the faith of Christ or not, indubitably the religion causes better people or at least a strong basis for becoming a better person. If Christianity is "debunked" as little more than well-advertised lore, what will Western society do if its origin of ethos is eliminated?

More important, Christianity provided a psychological motivation for willpower and determination, a venue of support during moments of trial and difficulty. Consider the popular quotations of the religions followers, like "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" as Saint Paul said. Christ provides a mental foundation for reassurance that Christians can default to during times of trouble. If Christ were not real, then these sort of motivational blurbs reveal that faith can often be disguised inner strength, since adherents essentially project their adequate willpower on a Christ figure instead of fighting an internal battle against mental inhibition. It is clear that Cameron never considered how detrimental dissolving Christianity could become for the Christian community, who will lose the precious figure that their minds utilize to find inner strength.

Truthfully, the Christian faith is rather unlikely to arouse much interest or commitment from me. I am an unaffected observer, so dismantling Christianity will have few implications for me personally. But James Cameron never considered the community of faithful when he pursued his filming, unless he believes he is an enlightened logician who is showing the 'misguided' Christian flock back to its senses by revealing his proposed truth. I really do not care if Christ or Heaven is a myth that has deceived millions around me, it is a fabulous guide for living and provides moral and mental support for those millions.